Examinining Transitions along the Continuum of Care for Older Adults in Retirement Communities: Opportunities for Occupational Therapy

Abstract

A better understanding is needed of the transitions that older adults experience when moving to new environments and across levels of care. This doctoral capstone project aimed to create opportunities for occupational therapy practitioners to address older adult transitions in future practice. In preparation a needs assessment and literature review were completed to inform the development of project goals. Residents were interviewed using the Quality of Life and Well-Being through Transition Questionnaire, adapted from established tools. Analysis of the interviews guided the design and implementation of interventions with a focus on evidence-informed practice. Informed by existing literature, this project further explored older adults’ experiences as they required additional care within a retirement community, offering insights into how transitions impact quality of life and well-being. The high socioeconomic status of residents at the site may have influenced their perceptions of quality of life, limiting generalizability to other retirement communities. Therefore, future studies would benefit from applying similar assessment tools across diverse retirement communities to further examine older adults’ perceptions of quality of life, well-being, and their experiences during transitions to new settings.